


an angel fallen down

by orphan_account



Series: inspired by songs [1]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe, Based On A Panic! At The Disco Song, Drug Addiction, Drugs, From a mountain in the middle of the cabins, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, M/M, Song Lyrics, angel - Freeform, forest, joshler - Freeform, pretty odd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 17:26:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15845940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "lying there with a halo in her hair she criedthere are feathers everywhere but it's fineyou do this all the time"





	an angel fallen down

Josh found himself walking through a seemingly endless expanse of forest. He couldn't quite remember how he got there, but he wasn't about to complain. He was tired of caring about everything, of worrying so much.

Besides, it was beautiful. The sky was full of storm clouds, yet there were cracks in them where light shone through. There was one particular spotlight he was focused on, and he realized he’d been moving towards it without realizing. The deep greens of the ferns soothed him, and an upbeat violin played in his head. It sounded so real to him, though he knew it wasn't.

He hadn't completely lost his mind. Yet. He knew he was well on his way to doing so. It felt like he was seconds away from drowning in every moment, but he didn't think about it much. He knew that no one would mourn if insanity grabbed him and pulled him under the waves. If he was being honest with himself, he knew that he would rejoice if that were to happen. Sure, he’d be leaving the prison he was in only to be trapped in a different one, but at least it'd be a change.

He heard the music further fade away with each step he took to the light in the distance. He grieved for each note that was lost in the background. The violin stopped playing entirely when he finally was close to the clearing in the trees that the sun poked into. The humming of the instrument was quickly replaced with what sounded like quiet whimpers and sobs from the clearing. He moved the branch of a bush away from his face to gaze through the foliage and what he saw broke his heart.

There was a boy with his hands over his eyes. There were elegant white wings on his back and large, fluffy feathers scattered around where he sat. The white made Josh think of the way the first snowfalls of the year would coat the ground. The boy had bold tattoos on his arms and bare chest. A halo rested just above his shaved head.

Josh could care less about the wings and halo. He was used to hallucinating. What he _was_ dwelling on were the scrapes and bruises scattered along the boy’s otherwise smooth skin. It felt so, so wrong to see such a wondrous being in pain.

“H-ey.” He couldn't help but call out. The angel’s head shot up and his tear filled eyes felt like they were stabbing Josh in the chest. He looked so innocent, like a deer caught in headlights. He was too pure of a thing to be seen by Josh. He didn't deserve to know such creatures existed.

 _I'm hallucinating._ He reminded himself, and the voice in his head seemed softer than usual, as if it were trying not to further upset the angel in front of him.

Regardless of whether he was real or not, Josh had a nagging feeling that this was not something he was meant to see. That was why when the angel grinned through his tears and waved at him he couldn't believe his eyes. That alone was more shocking to him than the fact that a literal _fallen angel_ was resting in his view.

“Do you need help?” Josh spoke again, taking a few steps closer.

The boy didn't speak, just motioned for Josh to continue walking towards him. Josh gladly did so, kneeling down next to the angel and staring at his face. He was gorgeous. For a moment, Josh allowed himself to get lost in those warm brown eyes and forget the rest of the world.

“Do you need help?” He repeated his question from earlier, barely speaking above a whisper this time.

“Can I maybe use a band-aid? If you have one. I hit my elbow.” The boy’s voice was gentle and raspy and it sounded the way honey tasted.

Josh shivered and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He did have a few band-aids in his back pocket. He always carried them around with him. His skin was becoming more and more fragile, he had to be prepared for the times it would break out of the blue. He reached back and pulled one out. Instead of the angel taking it like he’d expected, he just held out his arm and gazed at Josh through his thick eyelashes. The lump turned to a golf ball in Josh's throat as he unwrapped the bandage and carefully pressed it over the scrape on the boy's arm. His fingers brushed against delicate skin and his hands shook.

“What’s your name?” He asked when he was done.

“Tyler.”

“I'm J-”

“I know.”

“Oh.” Josh blushed a little, then felt silly for blushing and blushed even more.

Tyler absentmindedly reached out and ran his fingers through Josh's thinning hair. Josh flinched, remembering that he was even more bruised up than Tyler. He thought of the bags under his eyes and the bones poking their way through his skin. He was disgusting to any normal human, he couldn't even begin to imagine how repulsive he looked sat next to an angel. He didn't pull away though. He leaned in to Tyler's touch, letting his eyes flutter and close for a bit while he soaked in the feeling of the contact. God, he couldn't remember the last time anyone had layed a finger on him.

Tyler continued to draw circles over his jutting cheekbone with his thumb, and when Josh’s eyes opened he couldn't help but notice the other boy staring at his cracked and bloodied lips.

“Josh, I'm worried about you.”

Josh squeezed his eyes shut again. “I d-don’t understand what y-you- what _this_ is. I don't know what's going on.”

“I know, dear. Let's see… where to start?” Tyler glanced at Josh briefly, hand still resting on his cheek. Maybe he’d been expecting a response, but as soon as he realized that Josh wasn't going to suggest anything he continued. “I'm your angel.” He giggled at that and Josh's heart twisted. He sure did sound like one. “It feels dumb to say, but it's true. I'm your angel, and I'm supposed to look after you. I haven't done a great job of that, have I?” Josh snorted. “Right. I'm here to change that. I wanna take care of you. And do it well.”

“So you're not going to leave?” Josh didn't pay much attention to the rest of what he said, he was too focused on the pressure of Tyler's fingers across the side of his face.

Tyler shook his head. “Nope. I'm here to stay.”

“Really?” Josh asked. The idea that this was a hallucination faded a bit more with each second that he felt the warmth of another human being on his skin. Or- Tyler wasn't quite human.

 _Whatever_.

“Really. As long as you promise me you'll let me help you.”

“Y-yeah.” Josh responded, eyes shifting to Tyler's arms. The bruises and cuts were all gone. “You can help. Please help me.”

Tyler nodded, leaning in ghosting his lips over Josh's forehead. “I won't let you down this time.” He murmured.

Josh leaned in a little so Tyler's lips touched his skin and he felt a jolt shoot through him when they did.

“This- why- did you actually fall? Like, from heaven? That's crazy.” Josh said.

Tyler smirked. “Sort of. It happens all the time.”

Josh furrowed his eyebrows. “How?”

“Not sure.”

“Mm.” Josh hummed. “Does it hurt?’

“Of course it hurts.” Tyler said dully. When he saw sadness flash on Josh’s face, he reached out and brushed his knuckles over Josh's thin arm. “But it heals fast.”

Josh nodded before looking at Tyler's wings and running his fingers through his feathers. They were the softest things he’d ever felt.

 _He’s all in your head._ He reminded himself, recoiling slightly at the painful reminder.

“Josh, I don't want you to be surprised when you find out no one else can see me. I’m only meant for your eyes.”

Josh sucked in a breath. “Can you read my mind?” He asked quietly.

Tyler laughed, like wildflowers, like notes on a piano, like the sun on his skin, and Josh couldn't think straight.

“Nah. I know you pretty well, though.” As he lost himself in Tyler's kind eyes, he found that he believed each word he’d spoken.

“You’re so pretty.” Josh mumbled.

Tyler's already wide eyes widened further. “You're pretty too.”

Josh scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

“You are.”

“Have you _seen_ me? I look like a drug addict.”

“You _are_ a drug addict.”

Josh gritted his teeth, but couldn't bear to argue further.

“Doesn't mean you aren't pretty.” Tyler continued, wrapping his arm around Josh's waist and lifting him up to his feet. “Let me help you get home.”

Josh shook his head, panic settling between his teeth. “That place isn't my home.”

“We can move.”

“We?”

“I'm not just going to leave you like this. Unless- did you want me to leave?” Tyler looked almost as horrified at that prospect as Josh was.

“No!” He spoke a little too firmly. “Stay with me. I don't wanna be alone anymore.” He bit his knuckles a little to stop the tears, but it only pierced his skin and made him cry more. He was too far gone.

Tyler held Josh's bloody hand and told him everything would be okay.

.

Tyler led him out of the forest and, as soon as they found Josh's dirty apartment, threw out his needles. Josh would have punched anyone else who even _spoke_ of doing such a thing, but he couldn't bear to think of hurting Tyler.

The next thing Tyler did was make Josh's bed.

“I can't sleep.” Josh cried, shaking at the idea of it. Shaking at the memories of the nightmares, the panic attacks. Shaking because of the drugs he’d taken earlier that day. Shaking because he was so _weak._

“I know, here.” Tyler spoke softly, and his voice was a life raft. He grabbed Josh's fragile, bony hand and he immediately felt better, felt so incredibly tired. “Just let me hold you, I promise I’ll keep you safe.”

Josh didn't protest, just allowed Tyler to curl up next to him and wrap his wings around his body. Josh laughed a little as he felt the smaller feathers tickle his side. He could feel Tyler's grin against his neck.

“I promise I’ll fix this.” Tyler whispered into Josh's ear just moments before he fell asleep. “I'm here now.”

**Author's Note:**

> pretty odd inspired fic? i think yes


End file.
